According to USA Today, Lucas had plans to direct the new trilogy of ‘Star Wars’ films before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, with plans to release his film in May of 2015. Lucas even met with Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in August of 2012 to discuss his new trilogy of films. But, once the sale to Disney was complete, Lucas found himself on the way out and the new studio looked for a replacement.

Lucas now says it was all fortuitous timing. In the years since the Lucasfilm sale, he married Mellody Hobson and had a daughter, now 17-month old Everest (ahh, the one who brings balance to the Force). He told the paper he realized the three film trilogy would’ve cost him ten years of his life and “the time is more important to me than the money.” (Which is very easy for a guy who just made $4 billion to say.)

Even though he’s retired, ‘Strange Magic’ is evidence he hasn’t left filmmaking behind. Though he didn’t direct (Lucasfilm and Pixar vet Gary Rydstrom was behind the camera for this film), Lucas has been working on the project for 15 years.

So, in some alternate universe, there’s a George Lucas directed ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ coming out in just a few months. What’s odd, and maybe even sad, is that’s a movie we probably wouldn’t be looking forward to as much as the ‘Star Wars’ movie we’re actually getting this December.